Intro
When it comes to "Going Green," there are many different things that can be done. In the average household there are plenty of ways to convert to an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Some possibilities are: switching to green products, conserving energy, coming up with alternate energy sources, finding creative ways to recycle, and many others. While they may not all be relevant to daily life, a good way to live green is to follow the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry.
Anther way to live a green life which is slightly more conditional, is to build a green home. There are many different ways to do that, and for a more detailed description of the LEED Certification and other regulations it might help to consult Green Buildings.
Green Products
What are gDiapers?
gDiapers, or green diapers, are diapers made out of cotton and elastene with liners on the inside that snap in. The liners are made out of polyurethane coated nylon. Snapping them in and changing them is very easy. They are also very easy to rinse out. The flushables consist of outer and inner materials. The outer material is water resistant and made from all natural fiber. The inside is made from tree farmed fluff pulp and super absorbing poly-acrylate (SAP). The materials used for the entire diaper are breathable to help prevent diaper rash. The flushables are just that flushable! The wet ones can even be composted, this helps the compost because urine is a major source of nitrogen to the compost and the wood pulp and SAP benefit the compost as well. If composted the flushables take between fifty to one hundred and fifty days to biodegrade. The flushables that contain poop must be flushed! Poop belongs in the toilet rather then in a landfill. The waste is put through the water treatment process just like everything else that goes down the toilet. Some solids are left over after the water treatment process and are converted into biosolids. Biosolids are used as fertilizer and are often used on tree farms. Remember that flushables are made from wood pulp so trees are the main raw material of flushables.¹
What are the benefits of gDiapers over regular diapers?
Picture of gDiapers Set http://www.gdiapers.com/gdiapers101
No chlorine.
No perfumes.
Waste is being turned into a resource.
The diapers are plastic free.
They can be composed.
They are not going into landfills since regular diapers are the third largest contributors to landfills.¹
Exo Products http://www.ecoproducts.com/cms/
What isEco-Products?
Eco-Products manufactures plastic products from corn rather then petroleum and also makes products made from Styrofoam out of sugarcane. These products are compostable and made from renewable resources a principal of green chemistry and a principal of green engineering.²
What kind of products does Eco-Products Incorporated make?
Cold cups, hot cups and lids
Soup containers
Portion Cups
Deli Containers
Clamshells
Cutlery
Paper plates, bowls and clamshells
BioBags²
What are the benefits of using Eco-Products products over regular name brand products?
For hot and cold cups the benefits are:
Biodegradable
Made from corn not petroleum (reduces the need for foreign oil)
Compostable, takes about forty five days to degrade in compost in a commercial facility
Universal lid for all cups (reduces the need to store different sizes)
The hot cups are lined with Ingeo plant based plastic
Heat stable up to 135 F
For cutlery the benefits are:
Made from renewable resources
Plant starch cutlery
good for hot foods and liquids
PLA cutlery
Biodegradable
For soup containers, portion cups and clear clamshells the benefits are:
Biodegradable
Made from renewable resources
One lid fits all sizes of portion cups
Compostable in forty five days in a commercial facility
Made from corn
Heat stable up to 135 F
For sugarcane plates, bowls and clamshells the benefits are:
Biodegradable
Sugarcane only takes 18 months to grow and harvest
Microwave safe
Freezer safe
Sturdy
For deli containers the benefits are:
Made from Ingeo™ which is made from 100% domestic plants and uses 68% less fossil fuel then normal plastic
Compostable in forty five days in a commercial facility
Heat stable up to 135 F for the rectangular shaped containers
One lid fits all sizes for the round containers
For BioBags the benefits are:
Compostable in forty five days in a commercial facility
All sizes are available
Can store for two years until needed to be used²
Bio Bag http://www.ecoproducts.com/cms/category/10.html
Seventh Generation Logo http://www.seventhgeneration.com/
What is Seventh Generation?
Seventh Generation is a brand that makes products that are safe for the air, surfaces, fabrics, pets and people. They also list all of the ingredients and their responsibility in the product to know exactly what it is used for.
What kind of products does Seventh Generation make?
Seventh Generation makes feminine care products, baby products, cleaning products for the home, dishes and laundry along with paper utensils and trash bags.³
What are the benefits of using Seventh Generation Products over regular name brand products?
For laundry detergents the benefits are:
Non-toxic
Biodegradable
Phosphate free
Free of optical brighteners
Safe to enter public water systems
For dish washing detergents the benefits are:
Free of volatile organic compounds
Biodegradable
Made with plant containing materials
Phosphate free
Safe to enter public water systems
Dyes free
Fragrance free
Chlorine free
Non-toxic
For paper products the benefits are:
Hypo-allergenic
Unscented
No added dyes or fragrances
100% recycled
For cleaning products the benefits are:
Non-toxic
Biodegradable
No harsh fumes
No glycerol ethers
For baby wipes the benefits are:
Unscented
Hypo-allergenic
Alcohol free
No chlorine
Contain Aloe and Vitamin E
For feminine products the benefits are:
Do not contain chlorine
Do not contain dyes or fragrances thus safer for sensitive skin
products are seen more today that ever; but what is energy star? It is a joint program started by the EPA and later joined by the department of energy. It was created to help protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Energy Star was formed in 1992, with their little logo on just a few products. Now, the Energy Star logo is on over 50 product categories. The label has expanded from their first products of computer and monitors to just about any household appliance now. Today Energy Start has a couple different categories of products like: major appliances, and lighting. Recently, the program has started to cover whole home energy saving as well as industrial building. Using the products is saving money as well as saving the environment. On average a family saves about $700 a year on the electric bill which adds up because on average America save 1.6 billion dollars on energy from using Energy Star products.
Energy star lighting is one smallest thing’s that you can do to your home to save on money. Energy star lighting consists of two categories; as of right now on the market: Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and Light-emitting diode (LED). Both products Energy Star puts through extensive testing to make sure that certain characteristics are functioning like: flickering, brightness, color quality, efficiency, and power draw. This is so that the products that the program is putting out on the market they can truly back them.
CFL are gas filled tubes with magnetic or electronic ballasts. A current is sent from the fixture, which then runs up the ballast and through the gas, emitting ultraviolet light. The phosphor coating on the tube, once stimulated by the UV light, produces visible light. CFL all use about 75% less energy than regular incandescent bulbs alone. They can be the smallest change to a home today, but it will pay for itself in 6 month or less. CFL fit into a normal light socket or fixture and last up to 15 times longer than incandescent. CFL are the same as incandescent bulbs but the bulbs use less energy. One of the only down falls of CFL is that you need to watch the wattage because there is a difference between incandescent and the fluorescents. When changing to CFL, always check the label or consult a chart like the one below. Also CFL have to be dispose of properly as well as clean properly when broken. Cleaning a broken CFL can be explain "how to clean up CFL" on energy star website as well as "how to depose" of them too.
Energy Use for Incandescent Light Bulbs (Watts)
Minimum Light Output (Lumens)
Energy Use for common ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs (Watts)
25
250
4 to 9
40
450
9 to 13
60
800
13 to 15
75
1,100
18 to 25
100
1,600
23 to 30
125
2,000
28 to 40
150
2,600
30 to 52
LEDs, or light emitting diodes, are also Energy Star backed now. LEDs are small light sources that become illuminated by the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material. They come in low and high lighting. Low LEDs are used in products like exit signs or little green lights on a computers, whereas high LED lighting is used in product that want to illuminate a good size area. LED lights though are the way to go they are more efficient, durable, versatile, and longer lasting than incandescent and CFL’s. LED’s only emitted light, where as incandescent and CFL emit light and heat. Even though CFL’s are Energy Star backed, LED lights are just more efficient than the CFL because of the heat factor that they emit. However; LED “light bulbs” are not yet backed by the Energy Star program, certain smaller ones are but “bulbs” are not apart of Energy Star. They have not been back by Energy Star yet because they have not met the standards of Energy Start. LED lighting works with a tiny chip that is several layers of conducting material which is attached to a heat-conducting material called a “heat sink”. Then they are both enclosed in a lens producing a 7 to 9mm product which then can be placed in circuit board, dimming switches, and timers. The Energy Star program does however back LED light fixtures as well as decorative light strings. The small lights are backed by Energy Star but they haven't figure out the LED "light bulbs" yet.(5)
Energy star appliancesare some of the biggest selling items that energy start backs. The appliances range from dishwashers to refrigerators. “In 2008, on average refrigerators that were energy star products save 20% over the standard frig. Dishwashers have come a long way too; there is a 41% saving with them.”(6) On the “Energy Star” website you can actually calculate what you would be saving on your refrigerator by replacing the old with a new energy star one. A majority of the appliances that have been modified were done by the Department of Energy. Just like the light bulb, the appliances have to go through several tests before the DOE will put them on the market.(7) They want to make sure that they are saving energy as well as doing it efficiently. There should be a label on all Energy Star backed appliance letting the consumer know how much they are saving by using it as well as it met the DOE standards. Yet on average the consumer spends about $2000 every year on energy bills, by using energy star appliance you can save 75$ a year, plus saving the environment.(7) The Energy Star model can be expensive because of the technology that goes into them; yet the advantages of Energy Star models are that the technologies will alone save you 10 to 15% on energy and water. In the end the money evens out but the environment benefits from using them.
Energy star products are expanding to help the environment. The goal of energy in the sengy is to cut energy cost as well as make products more efficiently.
Alternatives
There are many different alternative energies that can be utilized in everyday life. A few examples are solar an
Biodiesel is Green Fuel
d wind power; both of which are simple to initiate in anyone's life. For more details check the Alternative Energy page.
Another alternative is using biodiesel in diesel powered cars. This fuel is able to made from used cooking oil, or soybean, palm, or canola oils. All diesel cars are able to use some form of biodiesel without any modification. This fuel has lower emissions than standard petroleum diesel and is a renewable energy source.
Around the home
Green Roofs:(8)
One of the easier fixes that can be done to a home is convert the roof to what is known as a green roof.
An example of a Green Roof
As the picture to the right shows a green roof often times has grass growing from it. There are two common types of green roofs. They are intensive and extensive.
Intensive green roofs usually have a soil depth of about a foot or more. They require substantial structural elements to support the weight of the dirt. These roof can sustain a wide range of plant species and typically require much work to maintain. Because of this maintenance they are much less common than extensive roofs.
Extensive roofs are typically only 2 to 4 inches deep, and are planted with low-growing, shallow rooting, drought tolerant plants. It is also quite easy to take care of which is a desirable trait, making it increasingly popular.
The benefits to a green roof are: a reduce in storm water runoff, it can extend the life of the roof by protecting the r
Miniature Ecosystem
oofing material from direct sunlight, it has a cooling effect, and can even provide an ecosystem for a large variety of animals.
If you have a flat, accessible roof this can be a wonderful addition to your home. With that layer of soil on your roof you can then have a nice little garden somewhere that the neighborhood kids can't get to.
The only real problem faced while trying to install a green roof are high prices, and a lack of specialists in the field. I would guess that in the next decade both of these problems will have been solved, making green roofs the more sensible choice for everyone's homes.
Rain Water Collection:(9)
Rain water is, for the most part, a wasted resource. By collecting rain during wet months and storing it in a tank or cistern, homeowners can can have an alternative supply that won't deplete their groundwater or increase their water bill. There are some towns that pay for collected rain water, which is something that should be looked into by contacting your local government officials.
The main down side if your town doesn't pay is that if you want to use your collected rain water there are procedures that need to be followed. It also costs quite a bit of money to get the proper storage and filtering system, and a pumping system to bring the water from the tank to different parts of the house. The cost of a 10,000–gallon tank, PVC lines to and from the house, all filters, UV light, pressure tank, and pump can run anywhere from $7,500 to $9,000. That is the price if you are planing to drink or bathe in the water. However if you only want to use it to pump through hoses for gardening, toilet systems or other non-consumption uses it only cost a few hundred dollars.
The tanks may not always be the nicest looking which is another downside, but many people choose to fully or partially bury the tanks which prevent them from being exposed from the sun which promotes algae growth. However being underground makes it harder to clean.
There are many things that should be looked into before deciding whether or not rainwater harvesting is for your home or not. It is always wise to walk into a decision well educated on the topic, for a more in depth article about water harvesting and the do's and don'ts it might be worth looking at this article from "This Old House Magazine."
Green Projects
Creative recycling
Creative recycling can mostly be summed up as Green Arts and Crafts. Recently people have been in a recycling kick
An puppet example of how creative recycling doesn't always have to be practical
, and because of this we're seeing more and more creative ways to recycle. There are a large variety of different thing that have been done, and can be done. It isn't uncommon to see someone wearing a necklace made from old keyboard/typewriter keys, or gardening in a used milk carton. The Scrap Box is one of many places where you can purchase craft items which have been recycled. They aren't big yet, but they have the potential to grow. They collect scraps and discarded materials from local industries which otherwise would have been taking up space in landfills. These scraps can sometimes be surprisingly colorful and even more useful in arts and crafts than some of the things you might buy at a local craft store.
People find creative recycling appealing because it is also an easy way to save money. At About.com, "Guide," Sherri Osborn suggests a large array of different possibilities that the average person can do. With ideas for bags, cans, light bulbs, cardboard boxes and tubes, and just about anything else you might find around your house. On top of this article she puts out a weekly newsletter called Creative Recycling which holds even more ideas and projects.(10)
The idea behind creative recycling is as the name states; be creative. There is no right way to creatively recycle, but the wrong way is to not recycle at all. There are many ideas out there, look for them, or just make them up as you go along. "You'd be surprised with how much can be done with you're average bag of garbage."
Living A Green Life
Intro
Green Products
Energy Conservation and Alternatives
Around the Home
Green Projects
Intro
When it comes to "Going Green," there are many different things that can be done. In the average household there are plenty of ways to convert to an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Some possibilities are: switching to green products, conserving energy, coming up with alternate energy sources, finding creative ways to recycle, and many others. While they may not all be relevant to daily life, a good way to live green is to follow the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry.
Anther way to live a green life which is slightly more conditional, is to build a green home. There are many different ways to do that, and for a more detailed description of the LEED Certification and other regulations it might help to consult Green Buildings.
Green Products
What are gDiapers?
gDiapers, or green diapers, are diapers made out of cotton and elastene with liners on the inside that snap in. The liners are made out of polyurethane coated nylon. Snapping them in and changing them is very easy. They are also very easy to rinse out. The flushables consist of outer and inner materials. The outer material is water resistant and made from all natural fiber. The inside is made from tree farmed fluff pulp and super absorbing poly-acrylate (SAP). The materials used for the entire diaper are breathable to help prevent diaper rash. The flushables are just that flushable! The wet ones can even be composted, this helps the compost because urine is a major source of nitrogen to the compost and the wood pulp and SAP benefit the compost as well. If composted the flushables take between fifty to one hundred and fifty days to biodegrade. The flushables that contain poop must be flushed! Poop belongs in the toilet rather then in a landfill. The waste is put through the water treatment process just like everything else that goes down the toilet. Some solids are left over after the water treatment process and are converted into biosolids. Biosolids are used as fertilizer and are often used on tree farms. Remember that flushables are made from wood pulp so trees are the main raw material of flushables.¹
What are the benefits of gDiapers over regular diapers?
Eco-Products manufactures plastic products from corn rather then petroleum and also makes products made from Styrofoam out of sugarcane. These products are compostable and made from renewable resources a principal of green chemistry and a principal of green engineering .²
What kind of products does Eco-Products Incorporated make?
What are the benefits of using Eco-Products products over regular name brand products?
Seventh Generation Logo http://www.seventhgeneration.com/
What is Seventh Generation?Seventh Generation is a brand that makes products that are safe for the air, surfaces, fabrics, pets and people. They also list all of the ingredients and their responsibility in the product to know exactly what it is used for.
What kind of products does Seventh Generation make?
Seventh Generation makes feminine care products, baby products, cleaning products for the home, dishes and laundry along with paper utensils and trash bags.³
What are the benefits of using Seventh Generation Products over regular name brand products?
Energy Conservation and Alternatives
Conservation
(Watts)
(Lumens)
ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs (Watts)
- LEDs, or light emitting diodes, are also Energy Star backed now. LEDs are small light sources that become illuminated by the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material. They come in low and high lighting. Low LEDs are used in products like exit signs or little green lights on a computers, whereas high LED lighting is used in product that want to illuminate a good size area. LED lights though are the way to go they are more efficient, durable, versatile, and longer lasting than incandescent and CFL’s. LED’s only emitted light, where as incandescent and CFL emit light and heat. Even though CFL’s are Energy Star backed, LED lights are just more efficient than the CFL because of the heat factor that they emit. However; LED “light bulbs” are not yet backed by the Energy Star program, certain smaller ones are but “bulbs” are not apart of Energy Star. They have not been back by Energy Star yet because they have not met the standards of Energy Start. LED lighting works with a tiny chip that is several layers of conducting material which is attached to a heat-conducting material called a “heat sink”. Then they are both enclosed in a lens producing a 7 to 9mm product which then can be placed in circuit board, dimming switches, and timers. The Energy Star program does however back LED light fixtures as well as decorative light strings. The small lights are backed by Energy Star but they haven't figure out the LED "light bulbs" yet.(5)
- Energy star appliancesare some of the biggest selling items that energy start backs. The appliances range from dishwashers to refrigerators. “In 2008, on average refrigerators that were energy star products save 20% over the standard frig. Dishwashers have come a long way too; there is a 41% saving with them.”(6) On the “Energy Star” website you can actually calculate what you would be saving on your refrigerator by replacing the old with a new energy star one. A majority of the appliances that have been modified were done by the Department of Energy. Just like the light bulb, the appliances have to go through several tests before the DOE will put them on the market.(7) They want to make sure that they are saving energy as well as doing it efficiently. There should be a label on all Energy Star backed appliance letting the consumer know how much they are saving by using it as well as it met the DOE standards. Yet on average the consumer spends about $2000 every year on energy bills, by using energy star appliance you can save 75$ a year, plus saving the environment.(7) The Energy Star model can be expensive because of the technology that goes into them; yet the advantages of Energy Star models are that the technologies will alone save you 10 to 15% on energy and water. In the end the money evens out but the environment benefits from using them.
- Energy star products are expanding to help the environment. The goal of energy in the sengy is to cut energy cost as well as make products more efficiently.
AlternativesAround the home
Green Projects
References:
(1) “gDiapers.” gDipers; http://www.gdiapers.com/ (19 April 2009).
(2) “Eco Products.” Eco Products; http://ecoproducts.com/cms/index.php (19 April 2009).
(3) “Seventh Generation.” Seventh Generation; http://www.seventhgeneration.com/ (19 April 2009).
(4) "What is ENERGY STAR?" Energy Star. 28 Jan. 2008. Energy Star; http://alturl.com/8its (28 April 2009)
(5) "I want to replace my incandescent light bulbs. How do I select the best CFL?" Energy Star, FAQ; http://alturl.com/qoj8 (28 April 2009)
(6) "Energy Star," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia; <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Energy_Star&oldid=286247847>26 Apr 2009, (Accessed: 28 Apr 2009)
(7) "Learn More About Energy Guide : ENERGY STAR," Energy Star; <http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=appliances.pr_energy_guide> (Accessed: 28 Apr. 2009)
(8) "Green Roofs: An Introduction with Pretty Pictures," EcoGeek; http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/902/ 21 August 2007 (Accessed: 20 April 2009)
(9) "Harvesting the Water With Rain Barrels," This Old House; http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,1180779,00.html (Accessed: 20 April 2009)
(10) "Craft Green by Making these Trash to Treasure Crafts," About.com; http://familycrafts.about.com/od/craftsbyproduct/a/trashcrafts.htm (Accessed: 27 April 2009)